Thermionic discharge relay system



Jan. 19, 1937. a. s. SCHABERLE 2,068,040

THERMIONIC DISCHARGE RELAY SYSTEM Filed Jan. 23, 1934 A ,0 E 9 I III GIG/P66 s. SCI/198E045 VFW @W Patented Jan. 19, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICZIE.

. runamomc mscmmoa may srs'rnu George Stephen Sohaberle, Glendlve, Mont. dpplication January 2a, 1934, Serial so. qoaoos 14 Claims. (61. 178-70) My invention relates to thermionic vacuum tubesand auxiliary electrical circuits and methods of operating such devices in connection with pulsating electrical communication and signalling systems.

The purpose of this invention is to eliminate mechanical relays, such as telegraph, repeater, polar, duplex, or ringing relays, where the function of such relays is to convert the signalling impulse into mechanical motion for opening and closing metallic contacts in electrical circuits, thus replacing the mechanical relay and its armatures and contacts with an electron discharge device having a common source of electron emissions and a' plurality of electrodes to correspond with the contacts in the mechanical relay.

A specific object of this invention is to employ a vessel previously exhausted of air and moisture, containing therein a cathode, a pluralone primary anode to the other.

In this manner a tube is created having reduced internal resistance which will result in a great increase of anode current capacity, and, coupled with gxthe ease with which primary cathode emissions may be magnetically deflected, the secondary emissions being utilized in a particular way, this makes for a good oscillator, or an amplifier, having a push-pull output, The secondary anodes are usually of a metal such as aluminum or nickel, and may be coated with nickel oxide or tungsten oxide. For the tubes in which currents of great magnitude are employed in the anode circuits, aluminum may tend to melt, and some other metal may better serve' the purpose.

In order to operate one anode circuit at a time, a deflecting means must be employed, such as an electro-magnet, the coil winding of which is connected in the signal source, a signal current creating the flux between the electro-magnet pole-pieces for deflecting the primarycathode emissions to one of the primary anodes on one side of a, neutralizer or metallic spacer arranged between the said primary anodes.

The said neutralizer comprises a thin sheet of any convenient metal, such as aluminum or nickel, or may be in the form of flne wire mesh. This neutralizer is conveniently insulated from the anodes, and connects by means of leads to a ground outside the tube. Its function is to create a zone of zero potential between the oppositely spaced and alternately operated andunoperated anodes.

If desired, a biasing potential may be employed on the equalizer for the purpose of ren- 0 a circuit embodying my invention, the deflecting magnet being omitted for the sake of clearness of showing, and the tube B is shown in end elevation Figure 3 illustrates a modified arrangement of the neutralizer plate; r

Figure 4 illustrates a modified arrangement of the primary and secondary anodes; and

Figure 5 illustrates a modified circuit arrangement.

Referring now to Figures 1 and ,2, an evacuated bulb B contains a filamentary cathode 5, provided with a shield 6, a pair of spaced primary anodes l and 8 arranged on opposite sides of a neutralizer plate 9, and a pair of secondary anodes Ill and II associated with the primary anodes. The cathode 5 for primary electron emissions is heated from a potential source 29 through leads 2'! and 28, said leads being conveniently of any common metal such as tungsten, and may be heavy enough to support the lilament 5 and the shield 6, said shield being surficiently spaced from the cathode to assure insulation. The slotted opening in the shield 6 corresponds to the emitting surface of the cathode 5 and the edges of the shield may serve to further direct the emissions by extending along the path parallel to the common axis of the incident beam. The shield '6 serves to direct the electrons from the cathode 5 towards the neutralizer plate 9 but the directing action need not be so perfect as to prevent part of the electrons from reaching primary anodes I and 8 in the absence of a deflecting magnetic fleld.

The primary anodes I and 8 are arranged on opposite sides oi. a neutralizer plate 9 and may be biased with a positive potential such as shown by their connection to battery 25 or any other convenient source, and the leads l6 and I7 have in series, and individual to each of the said anodes I and 8, non-inductive 'impedances 23 and 24,, preferably of high resistance. I

In Figure 2, the primary anodes I and. 8 are intended to co-operate withsecondary anodes i0 and M respectively. and said secondary anodes l0 and H are connected through leads 1% and IE to the translating windings l9 and 20, said windings being in series with variable impedances 2i and 22, and thence connected to a point on the common potential source 25 hav-' ing a higher voltage than the voltage impressed on primary anodes l and 8.

The neutralizer 9 may be a thin sheet of metal or a fine wire mesh (as shown in Fig. 3) of any common electrode metal, and connects by means of lead l3 to a common ground I8, ormay connect to a potential source for biasing or any other desirable purpose.

The function of this shield is to neutralize the electrostatic strain which is established between anodes having a common source of potential for space current, when the electron stream is focused upon the surface of one of a pair of opposing primary anodes, thus causing a potential drop in the circuit containing the operating anode.

An electromagnet A is provided with an operating winding 2 connected in signalling circuit I, and has a pair of pole pieces 3& arranged on opposite sides of the tube B so as to establish a magnetic held at right angles to the axis of the primary electron stream and parallel to the neutralizer plate 9.

If now a signal is received over line i through windings 2 of electro-magnet A, the magnetic field between pole-pieces 3 and 4,.will cause electrons from the source 5 to be deflected to either primary anode l or 8 depending upon the direction of the signal impulse. These electrons will then cause secondary emission from the primary anode and space current will flow from one of the secondaryanodes ID or H, and thus operating the translating device associated with the respective secondary anode thus operated. A signal impulse of opposite polarity will cause the primary electron stream to be deflected to the opposite primary anode and cause the operation of the translating device associated with the other secondary anode. It will thus be seen that one translating winding is energized for one polarity of signal current and the other translating winding is energized for another polarity of signal current, and all without the use of mechanically moving parts or metallic switch contacts.

In the arrangement illustrated in Fig. 5, separate energizing batteries 25" and 25 are provided for energizing the respective circuits for windings l9" and 20'. These windings constitute the opposing coil windings of a push-pull relay having an armature 30.

In Figures 1 and 2, I have shown the secondary anodeswith their corresponding primary anodes arranged in a plane at right angles to the neutralizer plate 9, but the anodes may be arranged in other ways, for example, in Fig. 4 I have shown the secondary anodes with their corresponding anodes arranged in planes parallel with the plane of the neutralizerplate 9.

What I claim as new and desire to btain by Letters Patent in the United States is as follows:

1. In an electronic relay, the combination of an evacuated vessel containing an electron emitting cathode, a source of current for heating the cathode, a primary anode and a secondary anode, means for establishing an electron stream between said cathode and said primary anode and for causing secondary electron emission from said primary anode, an output circuit connecting the primary anode with the secondary anode, including a source of potential to establish space current between said secondary anode and said primary anode by said secondary emission, an input circuit including means responsive to current of one polarity to deflect said primary electron stream entirely out of the path of said primary anode and thereby de-energize said output circuit.

2. In an electronic relay, an evacuated vessel containing an electron emitting cathode, a primary anode adapted to emit secondary electrons when bombarded by electrons from said cathode, a secondary anode associated with said primary anode, a third anode arranged within said vessel, means for establishing an electron stream between said cathode and said third anode, an output circuit connected between the primary anode and the secondary anode including a source of current to establish space current between said secondary and primary anodes by secondary emission from said primary anode, and an input circuit including a source of variable current and means to deflect said primary electron stream from said third anode to said primary anode in accordance with current va-' riations in said input circuit.

3. In an electronic relay, the combination of an evacuated vessel containing an electron emitting cathode, means for establishing an electron stream within said vessel, a pair of primary anodes arrangedon opposite sides of said electron stream and adapted to emit secondary electrons when bombarded by electrons from said cathode, a secondary anode associated with each primary anode, a circuit connecting each primary anode with its associated secondary anode including a source of current for establishing space current between said primary and secondary anodes by secondary emission from said primary anode, and an input circuit including means to deflect said electron stream to impinge upon either primary anode.

4. In an electronic relay, the combination of an evacuated vessel containing an electron emiti ting cathode, means for establishing an electron stream within said vessel, a pair of primary anodes arranged on opposite sides of said electron stream and adapted to emit secondary electrons when bombarded by electrons from said cathode, a secondary anode associated with each primary anode, a circuit connecting each primary an-' ode 'with its associated secondary anode including a source of current for establishing space current between said primary and secondary anodes by secondary emission from said primary anode, an input circuit including means to deflect said electron stream to impinge upon either primary anode, and a plate of conducting material arranged between said primary anodes and connected to a source of constant potential.

5. In an electronic relay, the combination of an evacuated vessel containing an electron emitting cathode, a pair of spaced anodes associated with charge betweenbaidcathode-and said anodes,

' and means tor-establishing a zone or zero potential.

between said anodes; 1 1 Y a 6. In an electronic relay, the-combination or an evacuated vessel containingan electron emitting cathode, a pair of 'spacedanodes associated with said cathode, means for establishing electron discharge between said cathode and said anodes. a plate of conducting material arranged between said anodes, and a connection iromsaid plate for maintaining the plate at zero potential.

7. In an electronic relay, the combination of an evacuated vessel containing an electron emitting cathode, a pair of spaced anodes associated with said cathode, means for maintaining said anodes at a pcsitive'potential with respect'to said cathode,

means for deflecting the electron stream from one anode to the other, a plate of conducting material arranged between said anodes, and a connection for maintaining said plate at substantially the same potential as said cathode.

8. In an electronic relay, the combination of an evacuated vessel containing an electron emitting cathode, a pair of spaced primary anodes associated with said cathode and adapted to emit secondary electrons when bombarded with electrons from said cathode, means for maintaining said primary anodes at a positive potential with respect to said cathode to establish electron flow therebetween, an input circuit including means for deflecting the electron flow from one anode to another, a secondary anode associated with each primary anode, a translating device having a pair of operating windings, a circuit including a source of current andone of said operating windings connected between one primary anode and its associated secondary anode, and a circuit including the other operating winding and a source of current connected between the other primary anode and its associated secondary anode.

9. In an electronic relay, the combination of an evacuated vessel containing an electron emitting cathode, a pair of spaced primary anodes associated with said cathode and adapted to emit secondary electrons when bombarded with electrons from said cathode, means for maintaining said primary anodes at a positive potential with re-- spect to said cathode to establish electron flow therebetween, an input circuit including means for deflecting the electron flow from one anode to another, a secondary anode associated with each primary anode. a translating device having a pair of operating windings, a circuit including a source of current and one of said operating windings connected between one primary anode and its associated secondary anode, and a circuit including the other operating winding and a source of current connected between the other primary anode and its associated secondary anode, a conducting plate arranged between said primary anodes, and 'a connection for maintaining said conducting plate at substantially the same potential as said cathode. s

10. In an electronic relay, the combination of an evacuated vessel containing an electron emitting cathode, a source of currentfor heating said cathode, a primary anode and a secondary anode, means for establishing the flow of an electron stream from said cathode, an input circuit including a source'of current formed of impulses of opposite polarities, means included in said input circuit and being responsive to impulses of one polarity to deflect said electron stream to im pinge upon said primary anode and to cause secondary electron emission therefrom and being responsive to impulses oi opposite polarity to deflect said electron stream entirely out of the path or said primary anode. and an output circuit connected between the primary anode and the secondary anode including a source of current to establish space current between said secondary anode and said primary anode by said secondary emission. whereby said output circuit is energized in response to input current impulses of one polarity and is de-energized in response to current impulses of the other polarity.

11. In an electronic relay, the combination oi an evacuated vessel containing an electron emitting cathode, a source of current for heating the cathode, a primary anode and a secondary anode, means for establishing a primary electron stream within said'vessel from said cathode, an input circuit including a source of current impulses of secondary emission, said deflecting means being responsive to current impulses of the other polarity to deflect said electron stream entirely out of the path of said primary anode and to thereby de-energize said output circuit.

12. In an electronic relay, the combination of an evacuated vessel containing an electron emitting cathode, a pair of spaced anodes associated with said cathode, means for maintaining said anodes at a positive potential with respect to said cathode, means for deflecting the electron stream iromone anode to the other, a plate of conducting material arranged between said anodes but insulated therefrom, and a connection for maintaining said plate at a lower potential than said anodes with respect to said cathode.

therebctween, an input circuit including a source of signal current impulses of opposite polarity, means responsive to signal impulses of one polarity for deflecting the electron stream from one anode to the other and responsive to signal impulses of the opposite polarity for deflecting said electron stream from the other anode to the one anode, a secondary anode associated with each primary anode, a translating device having a pair of operating windings, a circuit including a source of current and one of said operating windings connected between one primary anode and its associated secondary anode, and a circuit including the other operating winding and a source of current connected between the other primary anode and its associated secondary anode.

14. In an electronic relay, the combination of an evacuated vessel containing an electron emitting cathode, a pair of spaced primary anodes associated with said cathode, means for maintial with respect to said cathode to establish electron fiow therebetween; an input circuit including a source of current impulses of opposite polarity, means responsive to impulses of one polarity for deflecting the electron stream from one anode to the other and responsive to impulses of the opposite polarity for deflecting said electron stream from the other anode 'to the first 10 anode, one of said anodes being adapted to emit taining said primary anodes at a positive potensecondary electrons when bombarded with electrons from. said cathode, a secondary anode associated with said electron emitting anode, and an output circuit connected between said electron emitting anode and said secondary anode including a source of voltage to establish space current between said electron emitting anode and said secondary anode by said secondary emission.

GEORGE S. SCHABERLE. 

